Among friends, Suzette’s known for her coffee cake. But her meat loaf was due for a makeover. “I’d been making it for years,” says Suzette, “and it was getting boring.” Then she thought of mimicking the flavors of a popular sandwich and had an instant hit. “My whole family loved it!” she says.
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 lb. ground beef (85% lean)
2 eggs
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup french fried onion rings
1 Heat oven to 350˚F. Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned and almost crisp. Remove 2 slices bacon; drain on paper towels, reserving for garnish. Continue cooking remaining 2 slices bacon 2 to 4 minutes or until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels; crumble.
2 Spray 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Gently combine ground beef, eggs, ketchup, oats, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in large bowl until blended.
3 Pat half of the meat loaf mixture in pan; top with cheese slices and crumbled bacon. Top with remaining meat loaf mixture, covering cheese.
4 Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with shredded cheese and onion rings. Cut reserved 2 slices bacon in half crosswise; arrange over top of meat loaf. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and internal temperature reaches 160ºF. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.
6 servings
PER SERVING: 455 calories, 28.5 g total fat (12.5 g saturated fat), 32 g protein, 16.5 g carbohydrate, 175 mg cholesterol, 1015 mg sodium, 1 g fiber